Frog for violin bows



Dec. 11, 1928. 1,695,020

H. OSTROVSKY FROG FOR vxomu BOWS Filed Sept. 22, 1923 Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

' UNITEDISTATES PATENT oFr cE.

M mamas-n r Len n ENGLAND- @1399 R VIOLIN s? Applicntion fl loi flvptelnher QB, 188$,Serial No. 664,224, and in Great Britain. September 22, 1922.

My invention relates to a new method of attachment of the hair to bows for violins, cellos or similar musical instruments, the objects being to im rt elasticityto the initial contact of the ow with the instrument and at the same time to im ve and to facilitate the attachment or etachment of the hair by an unskilled lpenson.

in musical instrumant bows commonly in use, the 1m atthe butt end is in the'fforin of a solid on ie ding block. Inthe invention described elow an elastimfonm of attachment is providedbetween the how stick and the bow hair, this being calculated to improve l5 thetone and technique ofthe playing.

to the invention, the frog at According the butt and of the bow maybe made in either oi two alternate .forms, differing in their construction but obects, nameiy, elasticity of contact and faeility of attaehmmt.

In both forms, the hair is attached to the frog at the butt end of the how as follows. The frog has on its top side a channel from which extend downward several vertical holes, into any one of which the knot at the and of the hairimay -ho inserted and there held by a removable metal stopper. Alternately the metal stopper-may be'in the form of a casing enolosingrtheends of the hair and forming a plug: whichcan fit into any one ofthe holes above mentioned.

In the first form of the frog, to. which the following part af tho description refers, a

metal slide is insented from the *rear into grooves in the sides ofthe ehanneldthus covering the hair and holding it in lace at its point of insention iptothe bloc The front end of the slideas ofreduced width and is bent upward toriorm a support for the spning mentioned below.v

In order to obtain elasticity of contact betwen the how andthe instrument, a flat metal L-shaped spring lies along the top side and rear end of the frog and is removabiy at tached to the rear end of the frog by a slot and recessed clamping screw on similar de- VICQ'.

The spring at the topside of the frog lies within the channel mentioned abmiein which it is free to have a small elastic movement when depressed by contact of the bow with the instrument stnings; The spring is sup- .ponted on its underside hy the upward pro-- slides having various jest-ion on the slide mentioned above. The efieetive length of the spring and therefore the amount of deflection may be varied by varying the position ofthe slide or by using projections. The front of the spring is formed into a. flat D shaped ring embracing the hair. The hair is heldand spread against the flat top of this ringby a small plate, which is inserted from the front end andpressed agains th hai by turning a small nut running on a screw projectingdownward'from the plat o by an equivalent device. In. an alternate form, the above mentioned plate is extended forward to form a flexible tongue underlying thefhair in such-a manner. as to give additional support'to the hair when pressure is applied to it. y rforming the same l 20 functions and each achieving the two above In the second fob'm ofthe'fr ga t which the following part of the description Refers, the frog at the butt endof thebowconsists of two portions. The lower portionruns on a leading scnew in the usual manner, while the upper portionis hinged at its top real, corner to ayertical projection from the, lower portion.

. A projection from'the upper portion of the frog lies within a corresponding groove in the lower portion, thus preventing any lateral movement between the two portions.

To obtain elasticity of contact between the bow hair and theinstrument strings. a spring is inserted between the hinged and fixed portions of the frog. The method of attachmentoi the hairto the body of the frog is the same for both forms of the frog and has already been described. *The top of the frog is covered by a metal slide formed at its front end into a fiat D. shapedving embracing the hair and a portion of the top of the-hotly 0f the frog.

The hair is spread and held against the flat top of the D shaped ring by a plate inserted from the front into the ring below the hair and pressed against it by a clamping screw passing through the lower portion of the sing and through that part of the body of the frog that lies within the. ring. In an alternate form the above mentioned plate is extended forward toforin a flexible tongue-underlying the hair as preyiously deselribsd.

, Projecting downward'from the hinged upper portion of the frog is a screw carrying a smallnut which, when the hinged upper portionisdepnessedin playing, stnilzes against flt) the fixed lower portion the frog. The Figure 22 is a vertical section through the posit-ion oi the small nut on its screw regusame. lates the amount of depression. The head Figure 23 1s a vertical section through the of the screw lies in a recess in the underside of the lower portion of the frog. The contact of the head of the screw with the top of the recess limits the extent of separation of the two portions ot' the frog.

The attachment of the hair to the head or point of the how nia he in either of two alternate forms, the ohject of each of them being to enable the hair to he easily attached to or detached front any existing forn'i of how head. the devices used being able to acco1ninodate themselves to any of the cavities usual in how heads.

In one Form. the hair is passed through a hole in a small metal plate and is glued in a tube projecting from the plate and having externa. screw threads on which runs a nut. In the alternate form. the small plate has a keyhole slot into which the hair inserted, the slot heing then closed. The nut runs on an indepeiulent screw projecting from the plate. In either term the plate with its attachments is inserted into the cavity in the head ot the how, the nut is then turned. thus wedging the plate in the cavity and spreading and holding the hair.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the frog. F ure 2 is a mid-section of the frog. Figure 3 is a plan of the frog.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the rear end of the frog- Figure 5 is an end elevation of the front end of the frog.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the stopper.

Figure 7 is an inverse plan of the stopper.

Figure 8 is a plan of the slide.

Figure 9 a side elevation of the slide.

Figure 10 is a plan of the hair clamp for the frog.

l igure 11 is a front elevation of the clamp at the head of the how.

Figure 152 is a vertical section on the line l. Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the frog, in modification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line Figure 16.

Figure 15 a plan of the frog.

Figure 1G is an end elevation of the rear end of the frog.

Figure 17 is an end elevation of the front end of the trog.

Figure 18 is a vertical section on the line 3. Figure 1%.

Figure 19 is a front elevation of an alterna tive term of the clamp for the hair in the frog.

igure 20 is a vertical section on the line Figure 19.

Figure 21 is a plan of the alternate form of the hair clainp showing the tongue-like projection.

form of stopper alternate to that shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 21 is a horizontal section through the s opper.

Figure .25 is a view in side elevation. partly hrolcen a '2 3, showing t device assembled.

(1' Figures 1 to the hodv of the frog formed of vulcanite or other suitable material. Z is the groove at the hottoln ot' the body tor fitting on to the stick of the how, and c is the nut which attaches the body to the leading screw lying within the stick. Holes (7. a are termed in the body to receive the lciiot e at the hutt end of the hair. The top and hack of the frog are covered by an L- shaped flat metal spring formed at its front end into a D-shapcd ring f]. The spring f has at the lower part of its vertical portion a F'lflt l: which slips over the threaded portion of the clamping screw '2'. which when tightened holds the spring securely to the he ot the frog. The knot e is held in one of the holes (Z by a stopper j shown separately in. Figures (5 and T. Alternately the ends of the hair are encased in a tube 10 Figures 23 and Qt. which into any one of the holes (I in the frog. The hair lying within the channel Z at the top of the frog is covered by a slide 7 shown separately in Figures 8 and 9. The slide Z runs in grooves in the sides of the channel. and raised either at its front end or elsewhere to form a support for the flat spring 7''. The hair lying within the D-shapcd ring is pressed against the flat top of the ring h v a clamping plate m shown sc niratelv in lligure 10. or by the alternate form shown in l igurcs 21. and 22. From the plate /17 r alternate form n projects a screw 7' on which runs a small nut 0 which when turned causes the plate we to press against the hair.

Figures 11 and 12 show the device for holding the hair at the head of the how- A small meta plate 1) has a hole and carries over the hole an externally screwed. tube 1. A nut 1 runs on the tube (1. The hair ,9 is inserted through the hole in plate p and glued inside the tube (j. The plate is inserted into the cavit v at the head of the bow as shown in Figure 12. and there held by turning the nut '1' which causes the plate 7) to be pressed against the hack of the cavity.

In the alternative torui ol' the trog shown in Figures 1 to 1b. .l' is the lower tixcd him-i: and I! is the upper hinged liloclc. The lower block has a groove 1* and a :crewcd nut w for attaching the hlocl; to the how stick. A. vcr tical metal plate w is screwed to the lower block at- 1 and projects upward to the full. height of the frog. The upper block u is hinged at its top-rear corner 2 to the vertical plate :0, a metal block a being inserted into the upper vulcanite or like block to form a Ian hinge with the plate .21. A spring b, Figure 14, is inserted in a recess at the back of the upper block u to bear against the vertical p ate a1 for the purpose of keeping the upper block a in its raised position. A projection 0 on the bottom of the upper block a lies in the corresponding cavity d in the lower block. The top'of the upper block u is formed into a channel 6 from which extend downward three or more holes f. The knot at the butt end of the bow hair is inserted into any one of these holes and there held b a metal stopper shown separately in igu-res 6 and 7. Alternately the ends of the hair are encased in a tube 10 Figures 23 and 24, which fits into any one of the holes f in the frog. The channel 0 at the top of the upper block is covered by a slide k the front end of which is formed into a flat D shaped ring 1 embracing the hair. A screw m fixes the ring and slideto the upper block. A wedge n is in serted below the hair in order to spread and hold it.

A screw 0 is passed through a recessed hole p in the lower block t of the frog and is screwed into the upper block u. A fiat milled nut q moves on the screw 0 between the upper and lower blocks. The position of thenut on the screw 0 determines the extent to which the upper block may be depressed by pressure on the hair. The contact of the head of the screw 0 with the top of the recess limits the extent of separation of the two portions of the frog.

Figures 19 and 20 show a form of the clamp for the hair at the head of the bow alternative to that shown in'Figures 11 and 12.. A small metal plate 1' has a-keyhole slot 8 into which the hair is inserted, the slot being then closed to retain the hair. A screw 25 projects from the plate and carries a nut u. The plate with its attachments is inserted into the cavity at the head of the bow as shown in section in Figure 20 and is there held by turning the nut a which causes the plate 1' to be pressed against the wall of the cavity. Figures 21 and 22 show the hair clamp with the flexible tongue extension alternate to the form shown frog to said bow'stick, a channel opening in the top of said body, said body being apertured to receive said knot in one end of said bow hair, means for securing said knot in said aperture, a spring member for facilitating said elastic movement, a cover of resilient material for said channel and aperture in the body, and means for securing said hair at the head end of the bow Stick.

2. In a bow for musical instruments, including a bow stick and bow hair, a connection between the same capable of elastic movement when pressure is applied to said hair in playing, said hair having a knot in one end, said connection conuprising a frog having a body portion, means in said body portion for securing said frog to the stick, a channel opening in the top of said body, a plurality of apertru'es in said body to receive the knot in said bow hair, a stopper for securing the knot in one of said apertures, a plate at one end of said frog for spreading said hair, a cover of resilient material for said channel and apertures, and the hair lying therein, and m-sans for securing said hair at the head end of the bow stick.

3. A bow for musical instruments as claimed in claim 2, means for securing the bow hair to the head of the bow consisting in a cavity in the head of said bow, an apertured plate member, an outwardly threaded tube secured to said plate, a nut to engage and rotate on said threaded tube, said device being capable of being inserted in said cavity,

whereby said hair after being inserte l through the aperture in said plate, is held in place byrotating said nut on said tube, forcing the plateagainst the wall of said cavity.

4. A bow for musical instrun'lents including a bow stick and. bow hair, a frog comprising a body portion, means for securing said frog to said bow stick, a grooved channel o 'iening in the top of said body, apertures in saidbody to receive a knotin the butt end of said how hair, means for securing said knot in one of said apertures, a slide capable of being inserted along said grooves in the channel opening for covering and holding down the hair lying therein, a spring cover member for covering the top and back of said frog and terminating at one end in a hair spreading member consisting of a plate extending laterally of said bow, and a screw for causing the same to be raised and lowered, and means forsecuring the hair at the head of said bow.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY OCTROVSKY. 

